Arthuk. — On Fish Culture in Neiv Zealand. 193 



From year to year since 1876 they have been found to be so numerous 

 and to have attained so great a size that angling has not only been per- 

 mitted but some very excellent baskets of trout have been taken in the 

 Avon and the Cust. In fact there could be hardly finer fishing anywhere — 

 so far as numbers and weight go — the local Press during the season pub- 

 lishing almost daily an account of the success of some keen angler. In 

 1877, Mr. Farr states that he saw trout which weighed lllbs. and 141bs., 

 and had heard of others weighing 201bs.; and a Christchurch paper of 

 November 24th, 1880, has the following : — " A trout weighing 211bs. was 

 caught in the Eiver Avon yesterday." I could easily add other cases of heavy 

 trout being caught, but these will suffice to show the rate at which brown 

 trout have gained weight in the Avon and the Cust. Supposing the 

 heaviest of these fish to be one of those hatched out in 1868, then it shows 

 an average yearly growth of Iflbs. This indicates the capacity of the par- 

 ticular breed to become heavy, and the present excellence of the food 

 supply. 



As to the trout in Lake Coleridge, I have heard that they have done 

 well, but I have no corroborative facts in my possession in support of this. 



Salmon (British). — Two boxes of salmon ova brought from England to 

 Melbourne, as part of a large shipment by the " s.s. Durham," were 

 obtained by the Canterbury society from Mr. Macandrew, of Otago. These 

 were received at Lyttelton m April, 1876, but only 175 ova appear to have 

 hatched out, which were placed in the river Ashley in 1878. Nothing 

 is to be found in any of the society's reports, showing whether these 

 English salmon have survived or not, so their fate is involved in doubt as 

 yet. 



But the Californian salmon (Salmo quinnat) introduced from San 

 Francisco in November 1876, and in the following year, appear to have 

 been a great success, so far at least as hatching out the ova and distributing 

 the young fish go. About 80,000 ova altogether were hatched, and 65,000 

 parr liberated in different rivers of Canterbury, these rivers being the 

 Waimakariri, Eangitata, Shag, Huruuui, Heathcote, Ashley, Opihi and 

 Little Kakaia. As usual rumours have arisen from time to time regarding 

 specimens of these salmon having been taken in the rivers. It was reserved, 

 however, for Dr. Campbell and other members of the society to put the 

 question to the test. Provided with the proper authority from the Governor 

 they netted the Cam, a branch of the Waimakariri river, in July, 1880, and 

 succeeded in getting three salmon from 5 to 81bs. in weight. These were 

 compared and found to be identical with the specimens of Salmo quinnat 

 confined in the society's ponds, and which had been retained there from 

 the original hatching of Californian salmon. At the same time, curiously 

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